Oath Bound
by FandomsAllDayEveryDay
Summary: Perseus Jackson is one of the original guardians. He took an oath slightly different from his peers, leaving him bonded to his mistress forever.
1. The Beginning of Everything

**A/N: Hey everyone! This is my first actually posted fanfiction. I've been writing for a while but never really posted any of my works. I hope this turns out well… Without further ado, I present to you...**

 **Chapter 1**

Perseus Jackson was a natural soldier. He was self-disciplined at necessary times, obedient, and able to conduct successful military invasions and such. In this, his military talent was evident at the age of ten.

Like everyone else in the 7th century, he started training at the age eight. Balancing school work, training, and chores wasn't easy for the fourteen year old, but he didn't mind. He loved helping out in his household.

His mother, Sally Jackson, was a kind middle-aged woman. Despite having had nearly nothing herself, she went out of her way to help others less fortunate than her. Sally was proud of her son, who inherited her compassion, loyalty, and mental strength.

When Perseus entered the modest looking shack, he immediately embraced his mother.

"How was training, honey?" his mother asked.

"Bloody, as expected," he grimaced. "What is the purpose of inflicting such heavy punishments at training camp?"

"To bring you to your full potential," his mother answered. "That's the way it's always been."

"Yes, warriors are born through hardship," Perseus agreed. "Nevertheless, it's pretty intense. I _just_ turned fourteen."

"You understand that what you call training now will only increase in difficulty, don't you? You must take the Guardian Examination in four months."

"That's true…" he conceded. "If I pass, which god or goddess would I be assigned to?"

"I wish I knew, honey. Maybe Demeter? Or possibly Poseidon?" Sally smiled as if she knew something. If Perseus noticed, he didn't say anything. He knew that if his mother chose to keep something from him, it would be for a good reason.

Perseus smiled, but didn't reply. He personally hoped for Poseidon. The sea god was his favorite deity. He had been told multiple times that he resembled Poseidon and his offsprings with sea green eyes, messy jet black hair and a Mediterranean complexion.

He moved to the cramped kitchen and started cooking. His mother smiled as she watched him move around. She thought, _He's just like his father._

Perseus smiled to himself as he used leftover Maza from breakfast and freshly caught sprat to prepare dinner.

Once the fish had been expertly cleaned, he roasted them over the fire. Then, he sifted through their storage of herbs and spices, before finding the correct one. Perseus lightly sprinkled salt on the sprat.

While the fish was cooking, he cut the bread into thin slices, before placing the fish on the bread. He then placed a sprig of basil on both plates before serving it.

Unlike other families of the 7th century, Perseus and his mother ate at the same time. It was customary for the men of the house to eat first and the women and children to eat whatever is leftover. However, Perseus didn't like this tradition because it made it seem as if his mother was beneath him. He wanted to treat his mom like an equal.

 _Perseus isn't like most of those boys his age_ , Sally thought. That warmed Sally's heart. She couldn't believe how her little boy had grown up so much.

The next month came and went. Then the next, and the next, and it was finally here.

After all these months of preparation, the Guardian Exams had arrived. Every single person in their town had been anticipating this very moment.

All soldiers between the ages 11 and 25 had the opportunity to apply for the Exam. Most people did. It was an extremely high honor, because if you passed, you were assigned to guard an immortal. This was the first and only likely time this would happen for someone.

As Perseus looked at his opponents, he suddenly became nervous. _I'm finally here. At the Guardian Exams. But what if I fail? My mom needs the money from this. Everything is at stake._

"Cheer up, little warrior. Why the forlorn face?" Dima asked. Dima was Perseus's best friend. They met two months ago when -

 _Perseus feinted to the left before he danced out of the way of the oncoming slash. Sweat poured down his muscular back. The intense stares of his fellow soldiers made him uncomfortable. He was used to the attention but didn't like it._

 _His musing was interrupted by the battlecry of his enemy. Perseus planted his feet firmly on the ground as his opponent charged closer and closer. Mere feet separated the two. Perseus wasn't moving. At the last second he sidestepped. His opponent's face was red with anger._

 _"Stop trying to run away, punk! Fight me!" Klas screamed before charging again._

 _Perseus sidestepped again. This time, he stuck his foot out, effectively tripping Klas. "Learn from your mistakes," Perseus calmly replied._

 _In a flash Perseus disarmed Klas and held his sword against Klas's throat._

 _"Dead." he proclaimed. Claps slowly filled the arena, as everyone was amazed at the fight. Their teacher, Master Sita, smiled at his prodigy._

 _"Well done!" Master Sita praised Perseus, before turning to chastise Klas, "You shouldn't let your anger get in the way. It will only blind you." Klas glared at his rival._

 _"Master, you taught us to fight, not run. And-"_

 _"Yes, I did teach you to fight, but I also taught you to use your brain. Charging in blindly isn't the same as fighting,"_

 _"But Master. I didn't-"_

 _"Do not argue with me," he replied firmly._

 _"Of course Master Sita." Klas replied, bowing._

 _"Perseus, you did an outstanding job."_

 _Klas scowled. He couldn't believe that his beggar was being praised for running away. Klas decided that his father would hear about this._

 _"-one here to see you."_

 _At the Master Sita's words, someone in the crowd came forward. It was the upper-class's teacher, Master Ambrosia. He was a wise man. Everyone who trained with him eventually became a general. The only way to get in his class was for him to evaluate you and accept you. It was a huge honor to be accepted since he rarely accepts anyone. There hasn't been a new student in three years._

 _"That was an excellent block, Perseus," Master Ambrosia said while examining Perseus from all sides. He then began to mumble to himself, "Excellent, excellent, excellent, perfect, could be better, excellent."_

 _At last, he announced that he found what he was looking for. Disbelief was evident on everyone's face. Master Ambrosia turned away, asking Perseus to follow him. Perseus started walking towards Master Ambrosia when a throwing knife flew towards him. He stared wide-eyed at the knife for a split second before ducking. Just in time, too._

 _Perseus felt, rather than saw, someone rushing towards him. His body sprung into action, Duck, Dodge, Slash, Feint. A complex dance against a deadly enemy. Dodge, Slash, Jump. It was a tie. The two men, student and teacher, were tied. Upon both their necks, a sword was held. The two were sweating heavily, their breathing labored._

 _"Well, that was unexpected," Perseus gasped. To say that he was surprised would be an understatement. He couldn't help but wonder what that was for._

 _Master Ambrosia replied as if reading Perseus's mind. "You passed the test, young warrior." Perseus slowly realized what just happened before quickly bowing to his new Master._

 _"Thank you, Master Ambrosia. I am honored that you chose me to be in your class." Master Ambrosia just smiled, gesturing his young student to follow._

 _The two walked out of the arena together. Klas glared after the pair._

 _It should have been him to that Master Ambrosia noticed. That gutter rat doesn't deserve anything. He doesn't even have the guts to be a real man!_

 _No one noticed Klas's murderous stare._

 _When the two arrived at Master Ambrosia's private training arena, students immediately jumped into place._

 _"At ease, young warriors." Simultaneously, everyone relaxed. "This is Perseus Jackson, he is your new classmate."_

 _"How old is he?" A boy shouted. He looked about nineteen. He had messy light shoulder-length brown hair with streaks of blond and baby blue eyes._

 _"He is fourteen, Dima." Everyone gasped. No one that young had ever been selected._

 _"Is he good?" Another boy with red hair and brown eyes asked._

 _Dima snorted. "If he wasn't any good, then why do you think he's here?"_

 _"A mistake."_

 _"The only mistake in this class is-" Dima started._

 _"Enough! You two, ten laps now," Master Ambrosia demanded. The unknown boy and Dima bowed before sprinting laps._

 _As soon as they were finished, Master Ambrosia had his students pair up to spar._

 _"Ignore York. He's jealous because he used to be the youngest before you came." Dima said._

 _"How old is he?"_

 _"Sixteen. You beat him by years."_

 _"Oh." was Perseus's intelligent reply._

 _"Wanna spar? I mean you don't have to, but you can if you want." Dima rambled awkwardly._

 _Perseus laughed and said yes._

From that day on, the pair became best friends. Perseus had learned a lot since that day, even though it was hard being the youngest. Everyone expected the most from him, but they always got it.

"Hello? Are you home? You never answered my question. Why the forlorn face?"

"I'm fine," Perseus replied curtly.

Dima just rolled his eyes at Perseus's stubbornness. "I don't thi-"

Dima was cut off. "What are you doing here?" York and Klas demanded at the same time.

"Oh, I don't know… competing? How about you?" Perseus replied sarcastically.

Before the two could come up with a retort, the announcer for the Guardian Exams called for attention.

"Today is the day the gods choose."

 **A/N: So… What do you guys think? Sorry for any mistakes. I tried to catch all the mistakes but I have a feeling I missed a lot. I don't know… Maybe my gut is wrong. Guess I'll find out based on your reviews. I probably should post because I'm rambling and am nervous to post. Okay… Going to post in 3… 2… 1… POST!**


	2. The Exams: Perseus Jackson POV

**A/N: Hey guys! This chapter is in Perseus's POV. Sorry for any confusion! I also went back and edited Chapter 1, so you might want to re-read Chapter 1 but the general idea is still pretty much the same.**

 **On another note, thank you so very much for reading this. Every view, comment, favorite, follow means so much to me. I love you guys so much! Here's Chapter 2! :)**

 **Chapter 2**

"Depending on which god or goddess you will be assigned to, you will be faced with a variety of tasks. Guarding is the most prominent. However, you must also obey your Master or Mistress until your very last breath." The announcer dramatically explained.

Dima nudged me, whispering sarcastically, "That doesn't sound too bad."

"Today, you will be tested on-" He cut off here, as if he'd already said too much.

"Enter the room, if you dare!"

And enter we did. It was a simple room; one where the wealthy children were educated. There were several teachers around the room. On each desk was a reed pen and one papyrus book bounded by leather. Another luxury the wealth enjoys. Most people, my family included, used clay tablets and a stylus.

The majority of us sat down on the stools provided, but there weren't enough seats. Everyone who did not find a seat was ushered out because it meant that the Fates did not wish them to be guardians. I watched as people I know left with dejected faces. Sonia, the girl next door, left. She only wanted to do this for her family of five. They barely had enough food for everyone. As a result, they were very poor and not well-fed. My mother and I tried to help as much as we can, but they never accepted our help.

I made a mental note to look for her later.

"You have until sunset. Open the book and begin… now," one of the instructors said. For the entire test, all you could hear was the rustle of papyrus.

The questions weren't easy. **Who controls the moon?** _There are multiple goddesses who control the moon. One of the present day deities is Artemis, the goddess of moon, hunt, and maidens. Another deity whose domain is the moon is Hecate, the goddess of magic, moon, and necromancy. Lastly, the titaness Selene controls the moon._

The next question was this: **A test has twenty questions worth one hundred points. The test consists of True/False questions worth three points each and multiple choice questions worth eleven points each. How many multiple choice questions are on the test?** I did the calculations and ended up with _5 multiple choice questions._

The test skipped from subject to subject and got increasingly harder. Time was running out; the sun is getting closer and closer to the horizon.

"Thirty minutes until sunset." a schoolteacher announced.

 _Okay,_ I thought to myself, _last question._

 **If you had to choose between sacrificing your loved one(s), or your Master or Mistress, who would you choose?** _Honestly? I would sacrifice myself, for them to get out safely. If not, I would choose my loved one(s). That way, they can try for rebirth and live a better life. I would miss them terribly, but I would do anything for my master or mistress._

It pained me to write this, but I had to. It was the truth.

"One minute!" another schoolteacher announced.

I quickly got up to turn my book in, just as the schoolteacher started counting down.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, and one! If you did not turn in your work in the allotted time, please exit this room."

Several students, including some of my former classmates, got up and left the classroom. I gave Basil and Iren a slight wave as they left.

"We have one more test for you today. But before we continue, we need to know that you are absolutely on board with this. This test could either make or break your career." The teacher paused, gauging our reactions, before continuing, "That being said, are you willing to do it?"

People exchanged uneasy looks, silently willing each other to either leave or accept. No one wanted to be the first one to fail until-

"I accept the test," said someone near the back, with brown hair and blue eyes.

The teacher's assistant scanned his scroll, probably looking for his name.

"Perseus Tripoli?" The boy nodded and the assistant marked his name.

"Anyone else?"

Silence. But then, someone got up and left. It was silent once again. No one dared to breathe; it was just that silent.

More people got up, narrowing it down to sixty competitors.

A shaky hand rose up, "I am Keoki and I accept the challenge." All he was given was a nod. However, he did inspire others to speak up. One of them was me.

I stood up and said, "My name is Perseus Jackson and I'm moving on to the next test."

The schoolteacher asked, "What makes you so confident?"

"I know I'm going to pass." I said, sounding more confident than I was. The instructor accepted my response, but not without a raised eyebrow. He questioned others in similar ways, until he narrowed down who was going to stay and who was going to quit.

When all those who didn't want to move on left, the teacher made an announcement.

"Are you sure you want to advance to the next test?" Several students nodded.

"Okay. Everybody who is currently in this classroom passed!" He said, with a shrug of his shoulders, as he started towards the door.

"Wait! That's it? You made us go through all of that, just for your entertainment?!" Klas sneered. He didn't feel special enough, it seemed.

"That was not just for our entertainment, Mister Klas. Though it might have been interesting to watch, there was a quality in you I needed to test." The instructor calmly replied.

"So, what was it?" He sassed.

"That is none of your concern. You are all dismissed. We will meet here tomorrow at sunrise." The assistant and teacher left.

Dima walked up to me, "How do you think you did?"

"Mediocre. And you?" I asked.

"Could be better." We stepped out into the night and parted.

* * *

At sunrise the next day, I was the only student standing outside the classroom. A new instructor and his assistant was talking to each other to the side. No one arrived for the next ten minutes or so. _Where is everyone?_ I thought. _Perhaps I was incorrect about the time? I would look so stupid. Maybe I'm not fit to be a guardian._

"Where is everyone?" The instructor asked, mirroring my thoughts.

"I haven't a clue. We were told to arrive at this spot at sunrise, were we not, sir?"

"You were." Then he murmured to his assistant, in hopes that I wouldn't be able to hear, "Unfortunately we can't only have one guardian to protect all the gods. I guess we have to wait," he sighed.

It was at least an hour after sunrise when a someone arrived, sprinting.

"My… apologies… Sorry! I overslept and then the stable boys weren't awake to start the carriage so I had to run!" The boy panted. When he lifted his head, I saw that it was Perseus Tripoli. He grinned.

"Perseus Jackson, right?" I felt like there was a hidden warning underneath his friendly gaze. _Maybe I was paranoid?_

"Yeah. Perseus Tripoli?"

"Yes. How do you think you did on the test yesterday? I think I got a perfect score. It was extremely easy."

 _Haughty much?_ I thought. Nevertheless, I responded politely, "I wouldn't say it was easy, but it wasn't hard either."

"It was to me. You aren't as advanced in academics, I presume?"

"I guess," I replied. His attitude started to annoy me.

"So how do you think you did on the exam?" He pushed.

"Not bad." I said.

He raised one of his perfect eyebrows. "'Not bad,' says the military prodigy."

"What?"

"You can quit the act already. We all know your real intentions." He smirked.

My mouth dropped as he turned away. _What in the name of Hades is he talking about?_

For the remainder of the time, we stood awkwardly next to each other, not even attempting to make more conversation. It took more than two hours for everyone to show up after Tripoli arrived.

"You're late! Very late!" The instructor screamed.

"I need my beauty sleep!" Klas shouted back. _What an idiot!_

Dima snorted besides me. "I thought beauty sleep was supposed to make you beautiful…" A few students snickered. Silent laughter shook my body.

"How do you expect to do your job correctly if you can't even be on time? It is essential to be punctual for this job!" The instructor was red with anger. At this point, he was ranting. "Only one of you out of sixty was on time!" One of Dima's friends, Kay, nudged me.

"Is that you?" She whispered. I refused to answer, which Kay took as a 'yes.'

"Who could possibly be awake at sunrise?" York sneered.

The instructor continued, as if he did not hear him. When he finished his rant, he started to introduce himself.

"Now that you're all here, I am Master Halkias. Today you will go through a series of tests. Each of them will test you on your physical resilience. You will be pushed past your breaking point, and there is a high possibility that most of you will not continue on. This is the survival of the fittest." His speech was greeted by silence.

"Follow us if you dare to accept this challenge." His assistant announced before walking down a beaten path.

We followed. And ducked, and crawled, and ran, and climbed. If we couldn't keep up with the assistant, we were instantly deemed unfit for the role of guardian.

Fifty-five of us were left after the run. We were given no recovery time and were immediately shoved into another challenge.

Fortunately, this challenge wasn't as complicated. We had to spar.

This must have been the most popular part of the exam because at this point, the exams were a public event. Past participants were required to show up, but as more citizens showed up, they lined the arena's perimeter, watching. Families sat under the burning sun in the audience. Light chatter could be heard.

Master Halkias paired us up. However, we had an odd number of students. This left someone to either sit out, or someone to spar again.

"Since we do not have an even number of competitors, one will be paired against Master Ambrosia," the teachers converged. At this unexpected news, tensions rose. The competitors whispered and muttered about how they didn't want to be spar against the invincible Ambrosia.

At last, they came back with the news. "Perseus Jackson, you are to spar with Master Ambrosia." I was in shock. I wasn't sure how I would do, especially since I'm certain Master Ambrosia would push me milions* past my breaking point.

I was told that I will go last, while the others sparred. Everyone tried their hardest to impress their families and the Masters.

I watched each match carefully. I wasn't sure what else to do. I spotted slight flaws in Aeneas's stance; his feet were positioned too closely. A slight push would send him over. And his opponent, York, noticed that.

"Dead," he proudly announced after he roughly shoved Aeneas, and poised his knife above his heart. He tried to walk off carelessly.

Tripoli's fight followed. His style was swift and clean. Yiannis, his foe, barely stood a chance. Yiannis's technique was sloppy and it was evident that he had little to no training. His fight was in vain.

The next match was Dima versus Echo. I was on deck; my match was after theirs. As I nervously stood, shivering, I tried to distract myself by watching.

It was an uneven battle to begin with. Echo was losing horribly. Her small figure was being quickly overpowered by Dima's tall height. He calmly placed his sword in front of Echo's throat, before pronouncing that she was 'dead'.

At last, it was time for my fight. I barely got into my stance when Master Ambrosia leaped out at me.

Thanks to my reflexes, I was able to block his dual swords from a deathly blow. I kicked out, hoping to surprise my teacher. No luck. He danced out of the way, as graceful as a swan. I recklessly swung my sword in his direction. It hit! A minor cut on his arm, but a cut, nonetheless.

My body was moving on it's own. I had learned to stop thinking. I quickly developed an emotionless façade. Emotions can cost you a match.

It was deadly dance. My one sword against twin swords. I was slightly aware that it was quiet in the audience. No one seemed to be breathing.

Distracted by that fact, I was unable to dodge his next blow.

"Focus, young warrior." He chided.

I gritted my teeth, mentally scolding myself.

I attempted an extremely difficult disarming maneuver, in hopes of winning. I don't know who was more shocked, Master Ambrosia or myself. I wasted no time; I held my sword against his throat.

"Dead," I whispered.

"I guess the student surpassed the master." He mused.

I was in a daze.

"Perseus Jackson wins!" Master Halkias announced. It was suddenly more real now. I couldn't believe what I just did. I won against my idol. It was surreal.

 _"The day you run for three milions* and win a match against myself is the day you will become a legend."_

Master Ambrosia said this exactly one month ago. He was undefeated, until now. He constantly received challenges from my classmates, who were in hopes of claiming the title of _Legend._

York scowled and Dima grinned as they remembered that moment. York pursed his lips, his hands clenched into fists.

The winning students lined up against a bare wall. There were twenty-eight of us.

"The students that are present shall be moving on to the next exam. We have included your assessment from the previous day to make up your score, for the total possible of 1,500 points."

"York. 1,284." The boy smirked.

"Agata. 1,232." Her face lit up with happiness.

"Keoki with a score of 1,368."

"1,261, Jedrzej." Jedrzej flashed a pearly white grin at the audience.

Gala was fidgeting with her hair when she heard her name. "1,271."

"Pasi received 1,392." He gave a brief nod to the crowd.

"Zeno. 1,319."

"Drea, 1,309." She and Zeno both stepped forward. One of his arms snaked around her waist, pulling them together.

"Petros with a score of 1,391."

"Ulysses has 1,263 points." Petros and Ulysses high-fived each other and grinned. They both shared a slight look of mischievousness.

"Harmony. 1,381." A tight-lipped smile was present on her face.

"Cintia. 1,424." She skipped up to Harmony, engulfing her in a big hug.

"Rasmus. 1,324." A shrug was all we got from him.

"Yevgeniya with 1,155." She winced from the attention.

"Kay," Her head snapped up with hopeful eyes. "1,201."

"Ajax. 1,439." He scowled. I recalled his fighting method. His technique was clean and effective. I needed to watch out for him.

"Xylia with 1,152." She laughed with Agata.

"1,449. Phaedra." She got the highest score so far.

"Klas. 1,449." He was disappointed without a perfect score.

"Jekaterina has a score of 1,431." She sent a flirtatious smile at Klas.

"1,416. Dima." His crestfallen face instantly brighten up. Dima realized that I haven't been called yet; he sent me a worried glance.

"1,274. Jacinto." A relieved grin spread across his features.

"Nastasya with a score of 1,231." Tenderly she stepped forward.

"Okay." Master Ambrosia yelled. I started to panic. They didn't say my name.

Master Halkias announced, "We have another name. His name is Perseus-"

 **A/N: So, what do you think? Who do you think it is, Tripoli or Jackson? What score do you think they got? I personally think it's... Sorry can't say. ;)**

 **Do you guys want me to do a footnote (like this time) or write an author's note in the middle of the story?**

 **milions* = the unit of measurement used in Ancient Greece. (Roughly 1.5 km)**


	3. A Mystery Beginning?

**A/N: Hello everyone! How are you doing today? I'm pretty good. Thank you. I'm excited to present to you Chapter 3. I don't know how good it is because I didn't spend as much time on this as other chapters. But ok.**

 **Thank you for all the views, favorites, follows, and reviews. I love you guys so much. I can't even express what I feel in words. Thank you!**

 **Chapter 3**

Up above, the gods watched the competition from the throne room at Olympus. A silvery Iris message allowed the gods to watch the Guardian Exam as it was occurring.

"That is unjust! Unjust, I say!" Apollo screamed. "How is that possible? This is made out to be a _fair_ competition, is it not?"

Artemis replied curtly, "It is. The boy had it coming for him."

"He did not! He had shown nothing but compassion and kindness!" Hermes ranted, "Do you not remember what he did a year ago?"

"That was a one time thing! All boys are vile creatures. They-"

"Have you not seen him?" Apollo interrupted. "You _saw_ what he did!"

"He is nothing but selfish and cruel. He's going to be just like all the other boys!"

Poseidon, having enough of this, tried to help the situation.

"Dike!" The goddess of justice and fair judgement flashed into the throne room of the gods.

"Yes, Lord Poseidon?" She bowed down to Lord Zeus before kneeling at Poseidon's feet.

"You don't have to bow to me, dear," Poseidon sent Dike a gentle smile and she stood up, "Please end this injustice towards the boy." He nodded to the Iris message, which was still depicting the events of the Exam.

"Of course. I was about to deal with it myself."

"Thank you, Lady Dike." Dike smiled before teleporting out of the throne room.

Hera watched the exchange, and warned, "We shouldn't get involved in human affairs."

"Hera is undoubtedly correct. It is not wise to, Uncle Poseidon." Athena urged.

"What is not wise, is that we are allowing a fine guardian go." Poseidon replied firmly.

"There will be other guardians. Some of them are women, like Phaedra." Artemis objected.

"Do not let your prejudices get in the way, niece. It is not healthy."

Artemis scowled, "You're one to talk."

"I like him! He is a great fighter. With training, he will be an excellent warrior!" Ares interjected.

"I agree!" Aphrodite suddenly took interest in the yelling match. "He has a nice personality and is truly beautiful, inside and out. If you can not see it, you are blind." It was no secret that the sentence was directed towards Artemis.

"I am not fooled by his act. All boys act the same, regardless of their age. His inner self will emerge sooner or later." declared Artemis.

Aphrodite stared hatefully at Artemis. "Are you implying that I am incapable of doing my job? Who do you think you are?"

"I am-"

"We are getting off topic." Athena's voice rose over everyone else's. "We are accomplishing nothing like this."

Slowly, the gods saw Athena's reasoning and complied.

Zeus took charge, "I say we continue observing and, if necessary, we will interfere. No sooner or later shall we intervene in the affairs or humans." Most of the council nodded, as his judgement is always the final word.

They began to watch the Iris message, once again.

* * *

In the arena, the tensions were high.. The crowd was holding their breath. The question, _Who made it?_ was in everyone's head.

"Tripoli! 1450!" He stepped forward, a smug grin on his face.

Perseus and Dima exchanged glances.

Perseus thought, _I didn't even place. I didn't try hard enough._ He sighed. _I'm sorry, Mother, I failed you._

He plastered a smile on his face. His back was stiffer than usual as he congratulated all who passed.

"They must have made a mistake! How can you beat the _invincible_ Master Ambrosia and _not_ pass the exams? There _has_ to be an error in the grading system or something!" Dima ranted. Dima was crestfallen as his best friend wouldn't be joining him in the next stage.

Perseus's smile was genuine, "I'm sorry, Dima. I guess I wasn't as good as I thought I was." His smile dimmed a little, "I know you will do well as a guardian. Do not throw it all away because of me. You deserve the best."

Dima reached out for his young friend. "I won't, little warrior. I won't." He replied affectionately.

The moment ended when the shock wore off and the crowd started to rebel.

"Why didn't Jackson make the list?"

"Put Perseus Jackson in the next exam!"

"Come on! He must have passed!"

"This is unfair! He should win! Jack-son! Jack-son!"

The crowd soon caught on and chanted, "Jack-son! Jack-son!"

The Masters were dumbstruck. No one had ever cared this much about one person.

Perseus was even more surprised, if that's possible. He couldn't believe that they were rooting for him. Him, of all people!

Dima nudged him. "These people are cheering for you. Be happy!"

Perseus simply shook his head. "I didn't pass because the Fates didn't want me to. I am unworthy of protecting the gods."

Dima's grin fell. He hated it when his friend blamed himself. "There was a misunderstanding, Perseus. I've seen your class marks and not to mention, your fight! You score higher on tests than some in my class. And your technique was nearly flawless!"

Before Perseus could reply, someone called for order.

"Quiet!" Master Ambrosia's voice carried throughout the arena.

A hush slowly descended over the crowd.

I know you think there is a misunderstanding and that the exam is biased. However, we cannot jump to that conclusion. Perseus Jackson scored a full 500 on the sparring match, 349 out of 350 on behavior, 125 out of 125 for being punctual, but… but…" Master Ambrosia consulted the scroll again, as if to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him, "0 out 525 on the written exam."

Perseus Tripoli's mouth dropped open in shock. He thought, _I wonder what he would have gotten if…_ He shook his head. _Doesn't matter now. He didn't pass._

Dima ran up to his Master and asked politely, "Master Ambrosia, how is it possible for someone to get a zero on the written exam?" Dima looked around to make sure no one who didn't know what was on the test was nearby before continuing, "Some of the questions were so easy too! Like _**Who is the patron of horses?**_ I'm pretty certain that Perseus would write _Poseidon_. It is common knowledge. In fact, I am certain that _everyone_ got that right."

Master Ambrosia bit his lip, in a rare show of nervousness, "I do not know, young warrior. I know Perseus and he would have at least gotten a 1,400 total. At least!"

"Is it possible that someone sabotage his score on purpose? It is suspicious that he got a zero." Dima suddenly gasped. "I think it is the other Perseus. His name is Perseus Tripoli right?"

"How so? How can you be so sure when there is no proof?"

"Perseus always told me that there was something distrustful about the other Perseus. At the time I didn't think much about it, but now… I do not know. His instincts are usually correct. In fact, to tell you the truth, his instincts are always completely correct."

"I wholeheartedly agree. I just do not know." They were both frustrated that Perseus wasn't going to move on. "The tests are suppose to be impartial. Only one person sees the results."

Unfortunately, the conversation was cut short by Master Halkias's announcement.

"The last and final stage of the Guardian Exams has finally arrived. Each competitor will be assigned someone to guard. And that is why past participants are with us today." He nodded towards the left side of the arena where everyone who failed were lined up. "When we announced your name earlier, we gave you a scroll that you were not allowed to open. Now, I am telling you that you are allowed to open yours scrolls and then find your 'Master' or 'Mistress.' "

The papyrus scrolls were immediately opened. Dima was hoping to get his best friend, but instead, he received a silver-eyed girl named Xene. Dima looked for her in the crowd. The sketch showed that she has chocolate brown hair with a Mediterranean complexion. In the sketch, she was staring into the invisible distance with her lips slightly parted. Dima quickly found her standing next to York and his Mistress, Aileen.

"Hello. Are you my guardian?" Xene stared at Dima with her huge silver eyes.

"Yeah, I am. Xene, right?"

Xene smiled, "Correct. Your name, please?"

"Dima, at your service." He finished with a low bow. Xene and Aileen giggled at his antics.

"Wow. I never knew you such a charmer." Perseus Jackson chuckled.

Dima rolled his eyes at his best friend. "Do you have a guardian?"

"Yeah. And that's me." A familiar voice ringed through the air. It was Kay.

"You act as though you aren't happy with me, Kay. I am hurt." Perseus joked.

Dima and Kay bursted into laughter, as Perseus rolled his eyes. He ignored his friends and instead used this time to scan the arena. His eyes widened at the sight Sonia's guardian. Dima felt the change in his friend and followed his line of vision. He paled.

"Gods of Olympus, no!" Dima exclaimed. "Out of 25, it just _had_ to be him?"

"My thoughts exactly. What if he... ?" Perseus was worried about her.

"Who?" Kay wondered.

"Sonia and… Klas."

"That is _not_ a good match."

Master Sita interrupted their conversation to explain how to the third stage of the exams were going work. "I trust everyone found their guards? If not, please step forward." No one came, so Master Sita continued. "This part of the exams will last three moons. During this time, we will be staging attacks, and will be putting you in different scenarios. You, of course, will have to defend and protect your Master or Mistress to the best of your strengths."

Master Halkias took over, "You will have to follow your charge everywhere and do anything they do. You will have to respect them. The purpose of this exercise is to test how well you can protect the 'gods.' You must treat them exactly like how you would treat your Master or Mistress."

"That being said, the 'gods' should step forward. We need to speak to you," Master Sita stated.

When the 'gods' huddled around the Masters, they began to speak in a hushed voices.

Eyes twinkling, Master Halkias explained, "You can order them to do chores or any labor you do not wish to do. They will have to obey and if they don't, report it immediately. They should be willing to sacrifice anything they have for you and you can take advantage of that."

"We completely authorize it." Master Ambrosia continued. There was a hint of a smile on his face.

"Are you saying that we can use them as a sparring buddy if we really wanted to? Have them cook for us? Have them fetch us water? Have them purchase meat for us?" There was a longing in the boy's voice.

"Of course, Basil. That is what makes it realistic."

Basil grinned. He never tasted meat before, but is willing to try. Others from the poorer sections of the city also smiled. They liked the idea of them being on top for once. Perseus Jackson, however, wasn't in favor of this. He wanted to treat Kay with absolute respect and not to abuse her guardianship.

"I'm sure your guards are waiting for you. Go meet them and then leave if you wish." The circle around the Masters dispersed and everyone went their own way. Except Perseus Jackson.

"Do you _have_ to take advantage of our guardian? They are, after all, guardians and not slaves." He asked innocently.

Master Sita and Ambrosia exchanged looks. They had a feeling that their most accomplished student was going to ask this exact question.

"We can never force you to do anything, Perseus." Master Sita replied, "We can only suggest something."

Perseus nodded in reply, happy that he isn't ordered to do what he hated most. He bowed to the Masters before leaving to find Kay and Dima.

"He really is unlike the rest, Ambrosia." Master Halkias murmured, "Is he always like this?"

"I agree. If you think this is an act, then this is a pretty long one. He's always like this in my classes." Master Sita replied. "And I had him since age eight."

"He is different, but different in a good way. He is eager to learn, and is unbelievably intelligent for someone his status." Master Ambrosia shook his head. "That is what makes his written exam marks so suspicious."

"I think someone tampered with them. It's nearly impossible to get a perfect zero. Even the lowest score was well in the 400s. Most people only lost points on behavior, fighting technique, and because they weren't on time earlier."

"That might be the case, but we need evidence. Only the gods know who graded the exams…"

Then something unusual happened. A goddess suddenly flashed in. The goddess in question, has sandy blonde hair styled in a ponytail, flawless caramel colored skin, beautiful rose red lips, and bright hazel eyes. Her silvery chiton showed off her figure. She was beautiful.

The Masters lowered into a deep bow, recognizing the goddess.

"Lady Dike, what can we be of service?" They chimed.

"I come to you with a message from the council."

 **A/N: What do you think the message is?**

 **Sorry if there's a lot of errors in this chapter. I just wanted to get it out. It's also kind of a filler chapter and I didn't really incorporate any of the ideas I wanted to in this. I just felt like it was a good place to stop here. And, I also this that I'm make the odd numbered chapters in third person, and even numbered chapters in first. Good idea... or bad idea?**


	4. Home: Perseus Jackson POV

**A/N: Hello everyone. How are you today? I bet you're dying for Chapter 4. No? Okay. I'm just going to walk away now.**

 **Thank you for all the views, favorites, follows, and reviews. It warms my heart everytime I get a email saying that another one of you viewed, favorited, followed, and/or reviewed this. Thank you so so so so so so so much!**

 **This chapter is in Perseus Jackson's POV. Enjoy! :)**

 **Chapter 4**

"What in the name of Hades are you doing?" I was shocked. I walked outside just to find Xene plaiting Dima's hair.

"NOT. A. WORD." His face was as red as an apple.

My body convulsed with laughter. Dima looked ridiculous with twin braids.

"Oh… my… gods…. I… wish… I could capture this… moment…. This is hilarious!" I managed to get out between laughs.

Dima just rolled his eyes. "Very mature." He stuck out his tongue.

"Hypocrite." I retorted, grinning.

Dima opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He finally found his voice, just to be cut off.

"Done!" Xene exclaimed. "Isn't it pretty? Dima! I really like this look on you!"

Dime mumbled something under his breathe that only I heard. "Go visit Lord Hades."

I simply raised my eyebrows, because of his word choice.

Then to everyone else, he said, "Wonderful. I like it!" There was a fake smile plastered on his face. Xene's face brightened tremendously.

I couldn't resist, I had to say it. "Xene, you should braid Dima's hair everyday! He'll really appreciate it." I struggled to keep my expression neutral. Dima looked ready to pounce on me, and I wasn't even half done. "You can even dress him up!"

"Really?"

"Yes really." That was the last straw. He lunged.

His broadsword was out in a second, as he slashed downwards. Kay, thinking that Dima was a threat, pushed me out of the way. She took out her hunting knives and blocked.

"Get out of my way, Kay." Dima glared at me. "I only want Perseus."

Kay shook her head. "If you want him, you have to go through me first. I must protect him."

I was confused. _Why does Kay need to protect me? I'm not like her best friend…._ Then I remembered. I'm a 'god.' _But just because I'm a 'god,' doesn't mean I'm helpless. The gods can defend themselves too. They can always flash away or use their powers._

I didn't intervene. If I did, Kay would think that I didn't trust her. And I would have injured her pride.

I watched as small cuts began to appear on Kay and Dima's arms and legs. Suddenly Kay ducked. Dima put too much weight into this hit and tripped over Kay's outstretched leg. She wasted no time and threw her body over Dima's, pinning him to the floor. Since Dima was slightly stronger, Kay had to put her whole body's weight on top of Dima. Their eyes met.

"Well that is a compromising position…" Xene snickered.

Both of them blushed as Kay hastily scrambled off of Dima.

"Th-th-that was unintentional." Kay stuttered, looking everywhere but at us.

I ignored her, and instead, looked at the position of the sun.

"It's getting dark out. Sunset is approaching. We should go." I told everyone.

"Of course. Should I accompany you to your house, m'lady?" Dima turned to Xene, bowing. "Or should we stay at mine?" I couldn't be sure but I thought I heard a longing in his voice.

"Kay, you don't have to stay with me all night. Take a break and I'll meet you in the morning."

"No, it's fine. Let's go to your house. I've never been there before." I sent Dima a panicked look. I wasn't necessarily ashamed of where I lived, but everyone thought that I was wealthy. Especially because everyone Master Ambrosia's elite class was. Only Dima knew the truth.

 _It's fine, little warrior. She won't tell._ His eyes seem to say. I believed him.

Nodding, I said, "Okay then. I'll see you two tomorrow at noon."

"Where?" Xene asked.

"At the river, I guess." Kay's voice went up, as she glanced at Xene and me.

"I mean, if that's ok." I understood. She was supposed to agree with us.

I shrugged, not really having an opinion.

"Of course. I think that'll be fun. Are we going swimming?"

"Yeah. We can fish too!" A childish grin was evident on Dima's face.

"Then it's planned. We'll see you the next day." I smiled at the prospect of having a relaxing day tomorrow.

Kay and I walked left to the city while Xene and Dima walked the opposite way to the wealthy sector.

Our walk was silent. That is, until a lithe figure jumped out at us. He was masked but you could clearly tell that it was Master Ambrosia based on his build.

Kay was shocked that our teacher was coming at her. His speed was incredible but I could tell he was attempting to make himself less undefeatable.

I pretended that I am helpless and screamed when he grabbed me.

"Help! Kay help me!" I "struggled" against my "captor's" hold as he dragged me away. This shook Kay out of her shock and she leapt into action. I could see a fiery determination to prove herself to her teacher.

Master Ambrosia kept his right arm near my throat, as he used his left hand to block Kay's moves. I clawed at his arm, pretending that he was cutting off my air. He ignored me.

Kay aimed a kick at his stomach, but Master Ambrosia moved so it was aimed me instead. Too late did she realize that. It only brushed me, but I acted as if I was in deep pain.

Kay switched her goal and tried to grab me instead. I cried out when Master Ambrosia threw me behind him.

"Perseus, run!" She screamed, "I'll meet you at the rendezvous point." _What? Where is that?_

Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to run, as someone else appeared from the shadows. Master Halkias. He stood guard over me while I laid on the ground.

A scream. My head shot up. It sounded genuine and I started panicking. But it was only Master Ambrosia. He was on the ground, a pool of what looked like water around him.

Master Halkias sprung into action, and dodged Kay's attack. I watched her as she danced out of his reach. She unsheath her hunting knives. Slowly, fatigue washed over her and each attack came at slower pace.

However, Master Halkias also seemed to be struggling. I wasn't certain, but bruises covered his arms. He must have already engaged in many battles today. I thought, _How many pairs did he attack?_

Kay feinted to the left but swept kick Master Halkias off his feet. The world seemingly came to a pause as Kay poised one of his hunting knives over the trainer's heart.

From my vantage point, I could see Master Halkias's hand reaching for a flask. _Water?_ He poured the contents over himself, before acting as if he died from battle. The only sign that he was alive was a very fine rise and fall of his chest.

Kay's breaths were at an irregular pace as she ran towards me. Her loose shoulder length warm blonde hair flew all around her, covering her face at times. Her striking blue eyes were glowing with adrenaline and excitement.

Her calculating eyes analyzed the scene around her. "Did I really do that?" The expression on her face was one of disbelief. She couldn't seem to believe it. I knew what she was feeling.

I gave a slight nod and a tired smile appeared on her face.

"What am I to do now? Leave? Or deal with the 'corpses'?" As if on cue, the Masters rose from the dead, their tunics dripping with sweat.

"Well done young warriors. Kay, points for creativity, and for defending yourself. Perseus," Master Halkias gave me a smile that said he knew everything, "points for playing helpless."

To say I was confused was an exaggeration. "I get points for being helpless?"

He responded with a wink. "Normally no, but you are an unusual case." I understood.

"Wait. Do you believe… " I trailed off, knowing that he would understand.

I only got a slight shrug. It was clear that he wasn't going to tell me anything.

"Wait! Master Halkias, what about… " Kay hesitated. I knew what she wanted to say but couldn't bring herself to say it.

"When you froze?" Master Halkias offered. Kay nodded solemnly. "You did get points marked off for that," he admitted, "but not as many as you gained for coming through in the end."

"Others before you failed to respond as adequately."

"How many are left?"

"Twenty, I believe." Apparently the Fates planned surprise after surprise for us today, because this meant that we lost four. Things were getting intense.

We bid our instructors a farewell before continuing down the beaten path towards my house.

* * *

I was nervous. _What would Kay say? Dima said that I can trust her, but can I really? How will I know she won't pity me? That's the last thing I want rich people to do._ I shook my head. I can't afford to have these thoughts. We paused in front of my house.

"Well, here we are…." I gently pushed open the door. It was brightly lit in our three-roomed house. Candles were on top of our only table, and I could see candles in the kitchen.

Instantly, my mom engulfed me in a hug. She smelled faintly of the river. My mom's slightly soaked clothes furthered my suspicions.

"Perseus, how was your test? I'm proud of you no matter what." Her smile lines deepened.

I was almost ashamed of myself. I failed her. Looking up at my mom through my eyelashes, I whispered, "I didn't make it. I failed you." I refused to look her way. That is, until she turned my head so I had to stare right at her.

"Perseus, look at me. I am, and always will, be proud of you." There was this warm feeling in her crystal blue eyes, and I relaxed. She wasn't disappointed.

"But the money…. You needed it."

"We'll get it somewhere else. We have plenty of opportunities." I know we didn't, but my mom was always optimistic.

My mom suddenly jumped away, taking her warm embrace with her.

"Where are my manners? Come in, please!" For a moment, I thought _What?_

The realization of Kay's presence came back to me.

Her expression held shock and surprise. "Hello, Ms. Jackson. It is a pleasure to meet you." She politely smiled at my mother.

"Please, call me Sally. Are you staying with us tonight?"

There was uncertainty in her voice as she said, "Of course."

I could tell that she was surprised to see how I live.

"I apologize if this isn't what you're used to - " my mother fluffed some pillows as she looked around the shabby, yet clean room.

"No, no!" She quickly interjected. "This is great!" She gave my mother a nervous smile.

"Are you two hungry? You must be after all that hard work. Let me cook you food." My mom rushed into our cramped kitchen. I could hear her rummaging through our ingredients.

I refused to make eye contact with Kay.

"Why didn't you tell me that you lived like this? I could have helped!" Her whisper seemed abnormally loud in the small room.

I replied softly, but firmly, "I don't want your money." I looked at her for the first time in fifteen minutes, and she shook her head, as if not believing what I said. "Kay, please. I really don't want it."

"I _would_ have helped you."

"And I _would_ have refused it."

"Did… Does Dima know?" I could see her mind whirring as all the pieces came together. "He does, doesn't he? And that's why you always refuse to go with us to the bar!"

"He does know. I didn't go with you not because I couldn't pay for it, I dislike that place."

"Why?" Her curiosity was genuine.

"I heard rumors about that place… It's not pleasant." I gritted my teeth. Words couldn't express how much I disliked that place. All the experience I had with it was walking outside it one day. I didn't need to go in to realize that it was just another place to get intoxicated. My hands started to clench.

Kay took one look at my fists and starting apologizing profoundly, "I'm so sorry. I wasn't think - " she was cut off by my mother entering with trays of sliced bread dipped in wine and dried figs.

"I apologize if this isn't what you're used to… I could make something else if you want. Just tell me." My mother eagerly looked to Kay; her eyes wide.

"No, no, no! This looks amazing! I love dried figs." A polite smile graced her lips as she sat on the Klinai. *****

My mother gave me a hug before saying, "Goodnight Perseus. You can have the room tonight. I'll stay in the kitchen."

My eyes widened. My mother is too selfless. "No, you can have the bedroom. I'll stay in the kitchen." She didn't seemed convinced. "No, really. I love the kitchen. There's food and… please? I'll sleep in the kitchen."

She shook her head, exasperated. "Thank you, Perseus." She hugged me once again, before leaving the room.

It was silent for a while. All that I could here was the soft sound of our chewing.

"Why did you do that?" She suddenly asked, then she mumbled to herself, "Of course, he's selfless everywhere." I stayed quiet.

Once we finished the bread, I cleared the tray.

"You can sleep here." I gestured to the Klinai. ***** Kay nodded, settling on top of it. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to wake me up." I turned to go but her voice stopped me.

"Wait. Thank you, Perseus."

I spun on my heels, "You don't have to thank me."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight Kay."

 **A/N: Sooooooo… Whatcha think? Where did Perseus refuse to go? Any guesses as to why? It'll probably be revealed in the next chapter or the next…**

 **Until then… See you folks later!**

 **Klinai* = Couches in Ancient Greece.**


	5. Just Keep Swimming

**A/N: Sorry this chapter's late! It's twice as long as my other chapters though! Okay, I pinky promise that Chapter 6 will be out by Sunday of next week at its latest. I promise! If not, just private message me a reminder. I promise I'll respond within a day to keep you up to date.**

 **Now, I'm pretty sure that the number 5 is odd, so that means it's in… THIRD PERSON POV! Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 5**

Sweat trickled down the back of Xene's tunic as the harsh sunlight beat upon the group of four. Xene's usually perfect chocolate brown hair was slick with moisture and matted in several places. She roughly pushed a strand away from her eyes and took another step forward.

"Why is this so hard?" Her breaths came out unevenly. She felt as though her heart would beat out of her chest. Each breath was agonizing. It kept reminding her of something she couldn't have. Air.

"We're almost there." Dima glanced back at Xene. "We can stop here and rest for a while." He proposed.

There was a glint in her eyes that told him that she wouldn't accept his offer, no matter how much she was hurting. "No… I'm fine… I can… do this…." Her sweet melodic voice was cracking with the effort. The look on her face didn't reassure anyone.

Perseus sympathized with Xene. "Can we stop? I'm so tired." He may have tried to sound believable, but everyone knew that that wasn't true. Perseus ran three milions _and_ won against Master Ambrosia for the exam. It wasn't possible that Perseus could already be exhausted after only a part of a half a milion hike to the lake.

They stopped, anyways.

Kay leaned casually against an old laurel tree. "We should continue soon. The sun isn't even at its highest yet. It'll be even hotter then."

Perseus's eyebrows knitted together in worry. He knew the hike would be more challenging if the sun is at its peak; but he was also concerned about Xene. They all learned that she wasn't in the same condition as they are. She wasn't used to fighting or running this far. Her life was relatively easy compared to Perseus's or even Dima's because her father was on the city council. Earlier, she told them that she only entered the exam at her father's urging. She wanted her father's approval.

"I think we should continue," Dima said after a while. "If we go now, we'll make it before the sun comes to its peak." He looked at Xene sympathetically while he spoke.

The group continued their trek. True to Dima's words, they reached the lake before the sun was at its noon position.

Kay immediately dropped the pouch that she was carrying. Some of the contents spilled, but no one seemed to pay much attention.

In front of them was a beautiful lake with lush green trees surrounding it. The water, a gorgeous blue-green hue, reflected the mid-day sky. Calm, gentle waves lapped the shore. It was untouched. A secret paradise hidden from prying eyes by the mountains around it.

"This… This is beautiful." Xene half-whispered. This time, it was the scenery that took her breath away. "Why hasn't anyone ever heard about this?" Her eyes were glued to the lake before her.

Kay was the first to break away from the spell. "We discovered this lake a while back, during a training exercise." Her thoughts drifted to that particular day a few moons ago.

 _Master Ambrosia looked around the arena with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. He surveyed his students with his calculating honey brown eyes._

 _His loud and commanding voice demanded to be heard over the clangs of swords and knives of other classes. "Follow me!"_

 _The class immediately fell in formation behind Master Ambrosia as he started jogging. Master Ambrosia lead his students down the beaten path and into a forest._

 _This wasn't a forest the students were familiar with. Many of them look around curiously at the mysteriously enchanting dark green trees, and quietly tuned into the gentle rustling of the branches._

 _Perseus whispered to Dima, "Do you know where we're going?"_

" _I don't know… We've never been in here."_

 _Apprehensive whispers could clearly be heard throughout the group. Master Ambrosia always had a new, interesting thing in store for them._

" _There must be a reason. Everything Master Ambrosia does has a reason behind it." Kay shook her head. "Oh! Dima, remember the time when - " She was abruptly cut off by Master Ambrosia lurching to a halt._

" _We will be trying something different today." Perseus must have simply imagined a subtle smirk on Master Ambrosia's face. Excited whispers echoed off of the dark, tall trees. "Your goal is to find the lake." He simply said._

" _What lake?" Dima asked, voicing everyone's thoughts._

 _Master Ambrosia took out a papyrus scroll filled with green and blue marks for everyone to see. "The lake is right here, and we are here." He pointed to two different locations drawn on the scroll. "Reach the lake by sunset. I'll be waiting." With that, he turned and walked back the way they came from._

 _Everyone just stared at each other for a few minutes. "How are we supposed to do this? What if we get lost in the forest?" York worried, looking at the scroll. "This is complicated. We don't know everything and it is not detailed enough."_

 _His words instantly caused a reaction. Panic spread across everyone's face. Their nearly emotionless mask crumbled within seconds. Dima used this momentarily panic to take control of the situation at hand._

" _I suggest we start now." Dima started walking towards the forest, everyone trailing behind._

 _York sneered, "If we follow you, we'll all get lost." Regardless of his words, he shadowed Dima's footsteps._

 _The class soon figured out that the scroll indeed wasn't clear at all. The map marked no landscapes or gave any directions._

 _After a few more turns, York groaned, "I swear to Hades, we have been circling this forest for hours! The chances are that it is sunset and we don't even know! The trees are blocking the sunlight!"_

" _I agree! We will never get to the lake at this point!"_

" _Master Ambrosia is insane!"_

" _This is an impossible challenge. Why did Master Ambrosia put us up to this?"_

 _The voices seemed to pile on top of each other, drowning out the soft whispers of the forest._

 _Perseus Jackson's impassive mask contorted to one of annoyance. He thought that they were wasting time but arguing, so he started to look for a solution._

 _Perseus noticed Kay and Dima talking separately from the group in hushed voices. "-think I can scale this."_

 _Dima shot Kay a concerned glance, but she didn't notice. She was eyeing a_ _Platanus Orientalis tree. The rich brown bark was lightly covered in a layer of a green moss that seemed soft to the touch. The trunk was wide and had visible foot and hand holds. Branches were arranged in a way that allows climbers to easily reach for the next hold. The yellow-green leaves were fluttering with the slight breeze. More importantly, the tree loomed over Master Ambrosia's student, at 98_ _pous_ _ *****_ _._

 _Perseus suddenly understood. If one were to climb the Platanus Orientalis, they would have a clear vantage point of everything around them. That would reveal the location of the lake. One thing Perseus was confused about though, was why Dima and Kay didn't include him in their conversation._

" _What if you fall? You'll get hurt and then you won't be able to participate in the Guardian Exams!" Dima started pacing in front of Kay. "I don't ever want to see you get hurt." The tone of his voice said the rest for him. Thoughts of what could happen to Kay if she fell ran through Dima's mind. If he was being honest with himself, he would have said that the thoughts terrified him. Dima, however, refused to admit this._

" _But if I don't do this, who would? What if it's already sunset? We could have failed this challenge and we have no way of knowing unless I climb this tree!" Kay was being stubborn, but for a good reason. She knew that her friend wouldn't understand why she needed to do this._

" _There are other less dangerous ways - " Dima started off emphatically._

" _Let's hear it! You got a better idea? We are already short on time! Dima, look. I can do this. I'm not a weak_ _ **girl**_ _, as you may perceive me. I am stronger than you think. What are_ _ **you**_ _so afraid of?" Kay started marching towards the tree, her head held high._

 _Dima watched her go with a look of utter hopelessness. "Losing you." The phrase was barely audible._

 _Kay's step did not falter. She didn't hear Dima's words. They were lost in the wind._

 _Kay reached for the tree and grasped the first hand-hold. Her foot slipped on the moss but she ignored it. She continued to climb. Each step and each hold was agonizing for Dima. Each slip pained him as if he was the one falling._

" _Can you see it now?" Perseus called._

 _Surprise crossed Kay's face as she looked down. She didn't know Perseus was watching her. Kay's gaze swept her surroundings. "I think if I go a little further, I'll be able to see."_

 _Dima nervously bit his lip. He didn't know what he would do if Kay fell. She could die. This was a chance that Dima was not ready, but forced, to take. Kay reached for the next branch, and the next, and the next._

 _The rest of the class gasped. They had silently begun to watch Kay; eyes wide._

 _Even York shook his head worriedly. "Kay, you should climb down before you fall…" His voice was filled with anxiety. He subconsciously moved to the base of the Platanus Orientalis. Perseus observed York and noticed that his eyes held a wild look to them… as if he was afraid. This scared even the toughest students._

 _A high pitched scream echoed through the forest._

 _She was dangling, one arm barely gripping the branch, one arm flailing. Her feet were desperately searching for a foothold. The slippery moss on the trees suddenly did not seem so appealing._

" _Kay!" Dima cried out. He ran towards the base of the tree. His face full of anguish and pain with a wild, lost look in his eyes._

 _York wasted no time, he started scaling the tree._

 _Kay was slipping. Her breath hitched. She regretted this. If only she listened to Dima. But the fire inside of her refused to let her think these thoughts. It urged her to try and solve the problem herself._

 _She stopped panicking, calming herself. She needed to prove that she was not weak. Another deep breath, and she looked around._

 _Her arm was losing strength, but she ignored it. She pushed her fear down._

 _She swung her body slightly towards the trunk. The motion allowed her to gain a better grip on the branch. Her arm clawed at the branch, in a wild attempt to pull herself up. Another swing._

" _Hold on, Kay!" She made the mistake of looking down. York was ten pous below her, and Dima was twenty below York._

 _The force behind this time was too great. She slammed into the trunk. She quickly wrapped her arm around it, trying not to slide. Her bare feet frantically searched for a foot hold. Her feet and legs wrapped around a branch and she stabilized herself. Her heart was racing. But by that time, most of the class was breathing fast._

 _The determined look on her face did not vanish. She was going to continue looking for the lake._

" _Kay, come down! You almost fell!" York raised his eyebrows._

 _She ignored York. She was going to prove herself strong._

 _Perseus was worried for Kay. He always knew she wanted to prove herself. To Master Ambrosia, and to us. Perseus understood that better than anyone._

 _He looked up to find Kay perched on another branch._

" _The lake! We have to go towards the direction of the sun…. It's almost sunset! We have to hurry!" Kay scrambled off the Platanus Orientalis tree; the whole class's eyes following her closely and worriedly._

" _This way." She started running through the forest._

 _The class followed in her footsteps. They passed clearing after clearing after clearing, and there seemed no end to the journey. The class spread out, slower people at the back of the group._

 _The sun was dipping ever lower, almost touching the horizon._

 _Perseus's senses were sharpening. Every time he closed his eyes, he could imagine his surroundings. His body moved automatically. He knew what he was doing._

 _At last, the class reached the lake barely in time. The sun dipped below the horizon._

" _I was wondering when you all will get here. For a second there, I almost thought that you got lost." A smirk played across his lips. "Did not you not examine the scroll?"_

 _Dima looked sheepish as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Master Ambrosia… We lost the scroll." No one made eye contact with Master Ambrosia but Perseus. Perseus seemed lost in deep thought._

 _York called out, "The scroll wasn't that helpful, anyways!"_

 _There was a jumble of general agreement across the class._

" _Wait! Guys! The scroll was designed to lead us around the lake… But never to the lake." Perseus thought aloud._

 _Realization dawned on Dima's face. "Then the purpose of this exercise wasn't to follow instructions… "_

" _Cooperation and teamwork is valued on the field. It is essential to trust one another and you must rely on your mind in these situations. Follow instructions but think as well." He walked around the group. "We are_ _ **not**_ _mindless soldiers, and I will make sure that you are not trained as one." With a sudden smile, he gestured to the lake. "Feel free to come here anytime."_

Dima was the first to break the silence. By jumping into the lake. And getting everyone soaked.

Xene shrieked with surprise. "Dima! I'm all wet!" She shook her head in disdain and sighed.

Perseus, who was used to Dima's antics, simply glared.

"May I murder him for you, Lord Perseus?" Kay called from a few pous away.

"Don't call me that."

"Of course, _Lord_ Perseus." Kay decided to bow to Perseus this time. Her actions were awarded with an eye roll from Perseus.

"You know, since I'm already soaked…" Xene said, "I might as well… " She leaped into the lake, splashing Dima.

"Oh no, you didn't!" Dima warned, grinning.

"Oh yes, I did," Xene giggled. Dima broke into a fast and furious swim towards Xene. She yelped in fake fear and started swimming away.

Kay smiled. "It looks like Dima could use some assistance, my lord. Shall we join them?"

"For the last time Kay, don't call me lord!" The two took off into a run and jumped into the lake.

* * *

"Can we go back soon?" Xene asked, turning from vendor to vendor while walking along the street. She picked up a fruit, examined it, and dropped two obols ****** in the farmer's outstretched arm.

Perseus replied to Xene's question, "Of course! We'll go after the Exams are finished."

"I had so much fun today. It was amazing. I wish I could do this every day." Perseus noticed a wistful smile on her face. A little bit of juice dribbled down her chin before she wiped it away.

"Well, why can't you? It's not like _you_ have training all day." Kay's question came out a bit sharper than she intended to.

Xene, Dima, and Perseus turned to Kay, shocked. This was not like her.

Tears welled up in Xene's eyes. She tried to blink them away and she turned her face away from the others.

Kay looked and everyone, and around at the vendors for a while, while everyone else ignored her.

"I'm sorry, Xene. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"It's fine." She said shortly.

Before she could further her response, what just looked like a flash of white leaped out from behind a vendor stall.

Xene gasped, dropping her fruit. Kay and Dima reacted remarkably and pushed their 'masters' out of the way. Dima seemed to realize he left his broadsword somewhere. He panicked as he frantically watched Kay fend off the four attackers by herself. One of Kay's opponents disarmed one of her knives.

Losing one of her knives meant that Kay wasn't as able to take on the attackers. Small cuts began to litter her arms as she tried to keep the attackers from getting to Perseus and Xene.

"Dima!" Kay yelled when she noticed he wasn't helping, "Help me!" Too late did she realize that she attracted unwanted attention to Dima.

"I left everything - "

Meanwhile, Perseus ran to the vendors nearby and grabbed a sword from one of them. He tossed it across the street to Dima and he sent Perseus a grateful smile before leaping into battle. The attackers subsided quickly against the two.

Unfortunately, neither Kay nor Dima saw the fifth attacker sneaking up behind Xene and Perseus. The only indication was Xene's frightened yelp before a hand slammed her mouth shut.

"Please calm down, Xene. This is Master Ambrosia." He calmly whispered in Xene's ear. Xene stiffly nodded and the pressure was lifted.

Perseus knew that he could do nothing; he was supposed to pretend he was weak. It was harder that he thought it would be as he fought the urge to break out into fighting.

Master Ambrosia looked at Perseus and nodded, as if they had made a special silent agreement.

"Follow me, you two."

He pushed past the circle the sparse crowd made around Kay and Dima. Master Ambrosia occasionally looked back to make sure his 'captives' were following him.

"Why are you 'capturing' us?" Perseus asked.

"We are testing their tracking skills. The other attackers were a distraction and should be gone soon." He barely looked back when he caught Xene just before she hit the ground. "Careful."

Xene took in a sharp breath. "Thank you." Clumsily, she stood up, brushing invisible dirt off of her tunic. "Thank you." She said with a smile; this time, more composedly.

"How long do you think it'll take for them to find us, Master Ambrosia?" Perseus asked after a few moments of silence.

Master Ambrosia shrugged, his face nonchalant. "Most of the groups failed this challenge." Xene's and Perseus's eyes widened.

"What happened? Does that mean we are the last group to perform this exercise? How many groups are left?" The words slipped out of his mouth.

"I believe four groups are out of the competition." Master Ambrosia gave a slight shrug of his shoulders. "Master Sita and I were searching for something."

Perseus nodded, knowing not to question his Master's words. However, he couldn't help but wonder what Master Ambrosia and Master Sita were searching for. It must have been important for them to work together.

Xene and Perseus stayed silent as Master Ambrosia thought about the information he gathered the day before.

" _How will we know?" Master Ambrosia asked._

 _She looked up at the sky, looking for permission. At last she got the confirmation she needed. "Search for gray at sunrise." The instant the words left her rose red lips, she flashed away._

 _Master Halkias looked Master Ambrosia. "You two should look for it. You know him the best and I assume that you would want to clear his name."_

 _Master Ambrosia nodded, grateful. He turned to Master Sita and said, "I will meet you here at sunrise."_

 _Master Sita gave an affirmation._

Xene startled Master Ambrosia out of his thoughts. "Do you think they would arrive soon?" She kept rubbing her goosebump covered arms. Her tan skin had a slight blue tinge to it. Her thin knee-length tunic did nothing to protect her from the cold that was seeping in.

Perseus hurriedly took off his cloak and draped it over Xene's shoulders.

Xene grabbed Perseus's arm just as he turned to go back to his position leaning against a tree. "You'll be cold without your cloak."

"I will be fine, Xene." He smiled at her concern. Knowing that Perseus was willing to do this for her calmed her. She let go of his arm and snuggled into his cloak. The material was rougher than what she was used to, and not nearly as fashionable; but it was warmer than her dainty cloaks.

Master Ambrosia smiled at his young student. He knew that Perseus would be great in the future, no matter what he did. However, he knew Perseus's future would be in ruins unless Master Sita and he could figure everything out.

 _They looked out at the village, quietly discussing the meaning of 'Search for gray'. Below them were wealthy merchants and the majority lower class, hurrying and scurrying around the market._

 _They took note that most people were wearing the color white, and not gray. In fact, no one was wearing gray._

" _Who could do this?" Master Sita murmured again._

 _They scanned the village once again, hoping to find something they missed. Nothing._

" _I believe we will have a better chance below." Master Sita agreed with Master Ambrosia and started to walk towards the village._

" _Do you believe - " A glimpse of gray flashed in Master Sita's vision. He nudged Master Ambrosia gently, "Is is possible that she didn't mean gray as in clothing, but gray as in the color of a building?"_

 _Master Ambrosia moved his eyes to where Master Sita was looking, "It is possible. The other buildings in this area are white."_

 _Master Sita nodded, "Shall we go?"_

" _It's the best lead we have had all morning. Let's go." The pair walked towards the building._

Perseus could hear quiet voices far back on the path they were on.

"They probably went this way."

"No. It's so dangerous here! Why would they do that? I guarantee they went towards the village." The whisper seemed like a yell in the quiet forest. "When I turned around, I saw Perseus and Xene head towards the city."

"We already visited the areas in the city. And then we followed the trail to here. We-"

"Be quiet. I think I hear something."

Perseus strained his eyes to listen to his friends, but their voices disappeared. Xene looked wide eyed at Perseus. They were both wondering whether or not their guardians failed the test. They were both thinking about Master Ambrosia's words.

"Master Ambrosia?" Xene whispered. When he responded with a nod, she continued, "If most teams failed the challenge, how can we protect the gods?"

Before Master Ambrosia could answer, however, the clash of swords echoed through the forest.

The group held their breaths. They could hear the grunts and insults thrown between the opponents.

"Is that Kay and Dima?" Xene was scared for Dima. She knew Dima wanted to pass the Exams but his chances were getting smaller and smaller.

A flash of white. A scream of defiance. Then nothing.

Perseus was nervous. He understood the stakes of this competition. He knew some people wanted this honor more than others and was willing to do what it takes to get to the top. He hoped that Dima and Kay wasn't attacked by one of those people.

A high pitch whistle.

Master Ambrosia smiled. He knew Kay and Dima passed the second to last test as a guardian. Now, they just have to find young Perseus and Xene.

A crash. A rustle. Another.

Xene moved closer to Perseus and Master Ambrosia. "Who is that?" Her knees were shaking ever so slightly. Her breaths were coming out unevenly.

Dima and Kay ducked under the branch of a Laurel tree. They surveyed their surroundings and rushed to Perseus and Xene's side.

"Perseus, will you live? Please, answer me!" Dima shook Perseus's shoulders. "Can you answer me?" Dima was on the verge of laughter; and so was Perseus.

Perseus just laughed in response. "Of course." Perseus was used to Dima's dramatic ways. In a sense, Dima acted as if he was moons younger than Perseus.

Xene hugged Kay in relief. "What happened? You guys took forever!"

"We didn't notice you guys were kidnapped for a long time. When we did, we followed your trail to the city, and then here."

Kay glanced towards Master Ambrosia, who was listening with an impassive face. "We should go to your home, Perseus. I'll tell you what happened later."

"Okay."

Perseus and Kay turned to go but Master Ambrosia stopped them. "Oh. Kay, Dima, you may rest for the remainder of this day."

Dima gladly accepted Master Ambrosia, but Kay was hesitant. She understood that you don't get a break in the real world. If you are not ready in this practice, you won't be ready when you pass the exams.

Finally, Kay agreed, but she promised Perseus that she'll pick him up tomorrow morning. She sternly made sure that Perseus agreed to stay at his house until then. She still looked down the path towards the village. "Will you be okay?"

"Of course, he will. He's Perseus Jackson!" Dima exclaimed with a joking smile.

Kay looked uncertain at first, but after a nudge from Dima, she consented.

Perseus waved farewell to his friends and started quickly down the beaten path towards home.

A muffled scream split through the trees.

 **A/N: So… What happened? When will we find out? I hope you can in a week from today. Thank you so much for supporting me on this. I love you all!**

 **1 Pous* = 1 foot**

 **Obol** = a coin used in ancient greece that was ⅙ of a drachma; 6 obols = 1 drachma; 100 drachma = 1 mina**


	6. Different: Sonia POV

**A/N: Hey guys! I know how fake and cheesy this sounds as a reader of these author notes, but I can't tell you how much it's true right now.**

 **I'm so so so sorry for doing this. I honestly did not mean to take this long of a break from Oath Bound and so sorry for letting so of you down. I bet by now, a lot of you are rolling your eyes, thinking that I'm actually not sorry and wondering how you can take such a long unintentional break, as I was once in your shoes (or maybe it was just me who does that… Oops!).**

 **Chapter 6**

I didn't know how to react. I was shocked, scared, and horrified at the same time. I had seen him get into fights before. He was lethal, and rage often took him over to a point where he couldn't control his own body. Afterwards, though, when he came off of that high, and when no one was looking, it was obvious that he regretted every action and was pained and scarred emotionally, maybe even more so than his opponent.

He did have a compassionate side. I had seen it once. Several moons ago…

" _Sonia!" My younger sister yelled, "Mama needs more Maza. She asks for you to go to the village."_

 _I dropped the quilt I was mending. "Do you have any coins? I used the last of my money to pay for dinner yesterday."_

 _My sister shook her head. "Maybe Brother has some? I'll ask Mama." My eyebrows knit in concern. I was worried for my family. My sister was so frail from the lack of food. Her bones jutted through her unwashed knee-length tunic. Her thin, dark brown hair was knotted._

 _My sister left to go find Mama, while I searched for my brother. He wasn't in our house at all; I couldn't find him anywhere. Of course. He was probably out._

 _My sister came running up to me. "Sonia! Mama has two obols. She asked that you keep the rest for future use."_

" _Did Mama say how much bread?"_

 _My sister shook her head._

We both knew that two obols would not buy nearly enough for our family. If Mama wanted me to have change, we definitely wouldn't have enough. I was nervous. No one could have afforded to skip another meal.

" _I'll see you later, paidi mou_ _ *****_ _."_

 _I waved as I ran out of the house. I was excited to leave the house for once. Only my brothers usually go out. Mama said it was improper for a young woman to go out. Naturally, I always jumped at the chance to leave._

 _I was walking down the dirt path to the market. As I was getting closer, I suddenly heard a cry from behind me. I was startled, because I wasn't used to violence, but I was curious enough to investigate._

 _I tip-toed towards the side of the path into the trees. There was a clearing just beyond the trees. I had walked the path a countless number of times, but I had never seemed to notice that clearing. I watched from behind the trees._

 _A crimson colored liquid covered his fists. The gold embroidery on his clothing was a clear sign that he was of the richer class. A figure was lying on the ground next to him. I immediately despised him. These bloodthirsty people didn't deserve all that they had._

 _His shoulder length blond hair was clean, straight, and was held in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. His dull gray eyes were haunted, as if with a pain from long ago._

" _I know that you will never think of insulting my family again, if you're smarter than you look." He sneered at the boy writhing in pain at his feet._

 _He delivered one last kick to the boy's stomach before stalking away, smirking._

 _As I started to look around the clearing, it hit me that there was a crowd of audience members to witness the fight. They were extremely quiet during the fight; and the reason was clear._

 _A dark-eyed boy rushed to the victim lying on the ground. "Come back, Klas!" he screamed. He rolled the younger boy on his back, revealing a bloodied face._

 _Klas turned around, and plastered an unpleasant half-smile on his face. "For what? To beat you up just like your poor little brother?" His tone was condescending, but surprisingly, I could detect an echo of sadness and pain in his voice._

 _The older boy's eyes widened with fear._

 _Klas sneered and left._

 _As soon as Klas was out of sight, the boy picked his brother up and ran away._

 _I kept on walking to buy bread._

I shouldn't have. The two boys left our village and rumor has it that they died a terrible, painful death.

" _Half a loaf."_

" _What? Last time two obols were one loaf! That is unfair!"_

" _This is what I'm offering. Take it or leave it, Sonia."_

' _Please, can you just-"_

" _No."_

 _I sighed, defeated. I knew he wasn't kidding that he'll take everything away. I needed the food. "I'll take the half loaf."_

 _I hurriedly collected my Maza, and turned to home. The sun was almost at the horizon and the night was coming._

 _On the beaten, hot road, a little girl around my sister's age was slowly walking barefoot. Her dark brown hair so resembled by Paidi mou's*. Her ribs jutted out through her ragged mud-torn tunic, and I wanted to help her, but I knew that I just didn't have the resources. I had to turn my back on her. I couldn't even make eye contact with her._

 _As I forcefully focused my eyes on the road, a white tunic with gold embroidery brushed past me. I stopped mid-breath as I turned around to watch as he took a whole fruit out of his pouch and give it to the poor girl._

 _Her dry, tired voice mustered a quiet, "Thank you so much, kind sir."_

 _I didn't think that was possible for such a monster, but ever so slightly, Klas smiled. This time, a pleasant half-smile._

" _Take care." he gently told her. He turned to go but came to a halt. He put some slices of bread in the little girl's basket. With a large, toothy grin, she launched herself into Klas's arms._

" _Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." I discreetly looked on, surprised that Klas didn't push her away._

" _You're welcome." He seemed to glow._

 _She was squeezed him once more before detaching herself._

Had I not been a witness to that myself, I would never have believed that Klas, the boy who punched a defenseless boy, was capable of such generosity.

I'm still not sure I believe it, even after all these years.

"Come with me." Klas gestured towards the arena exit. He didn't turn around as he quickly walked away.

I followed him as I played that incident from years past through my head.

* * *

I realized that Klas's moods change drastically. At times he is a dangerous foe, and at others, he is a compassionate gentleman. There is no way of predicting a time when he'll change.

He has a dark shroud surrounding him most of the time. His eyes hold all his pain and anger at the gods. When he is perhaps thinking that I am not watching him, he occasionally drops his mask and allows himself to show feeling underneath the armor. I understand him. And I trust him to guard me well.

His skill is undeniable. He is quick and lethal, and fights as you would imagine a god would.

Of course, I wouldn't tell him that.

"This way." He said, pointing towards the direction of the sun. He was not one for warm and lengthy conversation.

I was a bit nervous. Mama always told me that I shouldn't go anywhere with anyone if I didn't know them very well. I didn't have much of a choice. It's not like I could bring him to my home. I just couldn't.

"Please, let's stop by my home, which is near the village, to inform my family of where I will be for the night." I struggled to sound sophisticated and formal at the same time. I don't know how he does it and look relaxed all at once.

Klas looked back at me, sharply. "You can drop the formality."

"I thought you would want me to be formal?" My body relaxed slightly.

"Not if it's forced."

I didn't know how to respond, so I didn't.

The market was crowded with many villagers and vendors going about their business. Klas and I passed a fruit vendor on the way to my home, and I wanted to ask Klas to buy some for my family, because I could order him around, and they needed it, but I also felt that it may make me seem needy.

Klas took one glance at me and marched towards the vendor. I watched as Klas reached into the sack he was carrying for a single drachma. My eyes widened at the sight of the coin. The shiny silver gleamed from the setting sun. I yearned to touch it, to hold it. Subconsciously, I feel my body move towards it.

"How many apples would you like?" The spell that compelled my body shattered.

"Apples?" My eyebrows knit in confusion. I never heard of an 'apple' before. I could feel the corners of my lips pulling down a bit.

"Are you serious?" Klas asked, his tone flat.

I wanted to say that I wasn't serious, but that would have been a lie. I truly didn't know.

He sighed, seeing that I wasn't going to answer soon, "Sonia, do you see this red fruit here?"

"Yes. That's the Reddle Core, right?"

"What?" This is the first time I saw his composure disappear. I knew that I probably should have not said anything but I couldn't help it.

"Wait, what is that called?"

Klas shook his head in disdain. "This is called an apple." I heard a mocking undertone in his words.

I scold on the outside, but I was genuinely amazed. I couldn't believe that I didn't understand something so simple. The smirk present on Klas's face did nothing to reassure me. I had a feeling he would hold this over me during the exam.

"So how many?"

"Two." I looked down on the ground, the tips of my ears burning pink. I didn't want to come off as too greedy in front of him but I also wanted enough for my sister and Mama to enjoy. I know Mama will want to give her portion to my brothers but I didn't want to think about it.

"I'll have five apples," Klas demanded of the merchant.

The merchant, a man who was similar to my older brother in looks and age, grinned a bit. "That'll be two drachma."

The look on Klas's face showed that he disagreed with the price that the merchant set, but didn't bother to argue. Klas fished out another precious coin from his pouch. He slapped the two coins on the stand, making the table quake from the pressure.

"Let's go." The words that was so causal in nature was said in a surprisingly forceful tone. "Now!" I scampered after him as he stalked away.

We didn't say a word for the rest of the night.

* * *

" _Not a word. You are to marry Perseus Tripoli. Act like an obedient daughter for Zeus's sake!"_

" _But Father, my heart belongs to-" I protested weakly._

" _Silence!" he snapped. "You are going to marry Perseus Tripoli, and that is that!" The voice of my father grew angrier as he spoke, and I flinched. Tears continued to stream down my face. "The wedding is scheduled for tomorrow at sundown. You are-"_

" _I can't marry someone I don't love. Oh, Father, please?" I begged. Even at the mention of Perseus, my stomach churned violently._

" _No! My word is final!" My father turned and walked away, his footsteps fading as he got farther away._

 _My sobs grew louder; I hated the powerlessness that I felt when my father was home. I hated that in my house, Brother and Father are always the ones who eat first and my sister, Mama, and I also ate last. I hated the system that we have._

 _Bitterness welled up inside of me, as much as I tried to push it away. My efforts were futile, my life was hopeless. I could make my own decisions. I can't even stand up to my father or my brother._

 _My breathing was labored and coughs shook my body. It seems like I couldn't do anything. Useless. I'm not pretty enough. Ugly._

 _My misery soon turned into rage, drowning out everything that I loved about my life. My sister, Mama, and him. The thoughts of him soothed my mind a bit, though it was not enough to calm me completely._

" _No. No. No. No!" I hit the ground in the midst of my fury. "I don't want him. I want… I want…" I slumped, anger turning back into helplessness. He stared back at me in my mind, a lazy grin painted on his handsome face. My feelings for him are growing by the day._

 _I whispered, "I think I really like you, -"_

My eyes snapped open to Klas's face right in front of mine. The front thing I noticed was how pale he was. The moonlight that was slipping through the crack of the open window. When he tilted his head to the side, wisps of dirty blond fell so naturally across his wide, panicked eyes.

"-are you like that?" I was confused. Like what? My confusion must have been evident on my face because he managed to stutter out, "I was sleeping peacefully when you suddenly screamed. I - I thought that Master Ambrosia or Master Sita stole you or - or something happened." In the moonlight the shade of his skin suddenly darkened, as if a shadow has passed over it.

In a gruff voice, he said, "So what happened?"

My voice was weak from all the screaming that took place. "I just had a nightmare." Even I could hear how distant and shaky my voice sounded. I hated how weak I felt.

A breeze flew in from the window crack. I shivered, hugging myself. I kept my eyes downcast; it wasn't fair to me. There was a shift in the Klinai. Soft shuffles bounced off of the walls as I felt him walk away. I didn't know where he was going until I heard the sound of the window creaked close. Gratefulness fluttered up within me when I realized that he did this for me.

"Do you need anything else?" His head tilted to the right, making him look as if he was a lost puppy. His expression was carefully calm, but his eyes were constantly moving, searching for threats to protect me from.

The question that he asked was overly complicated on so many levels. I kept my eyes on the ground when I answer that I needed nothing else. Refusing to met his eyes seemed to be my specialty because I've been doing that a lot lately. I'm scared.

"Okay then. Good Nyx."

A warm feeling spread through my body, followed by a wave of confusion. "G-G-Good Nyx." My last thoughts were of me cursing at myself for stuttering.

* * *

"Stop it! I don't need you babying me. Ever!" I exclaimed through clenched teeth.

He stepped out of his stance, casually reaching for his flask of water. Without looking at me, he said, "Everyone has to start somewhere. You can't expect to be an expert at it on your first try."

"This isn't my first-" I slapped my hand over my mouth too late. It was a secret I wasn't allowed to tell anyone. Just a secret between him and I.

Klas spun sharply on his heel. "What did you say?" His gaze was narrowed, which I can understand. It was illegal for girls who were not specially chosen for training to secretly practice fighting.

I didn't want to lie, not to him, but I had to. Not for the safety of me, but for him. I own him too much and if I let Klas know, he'll turn both of us in.

"Klas… I can't." I barely choked out. "Can you please just forget about it."

The suspicion turned into shock. "You learned this before." It was a simple statement but the accusation was there. "That's why you slipped into that stance so familiarly after I taught you…. And how you could throw a punch so easily…." The puzzle pieces seemed to suddenly makes sense in his head. The gleam in his eyes scared me, terribly.  
"Are you going to turn me in?" I was aware of how weak I sounded, and I hated it. I was always so weak, which is why I wanted him to teach me how to be strong. I averted my eyes, the sound of my heartbeat was deafening in my ears. Each second that he delayed the answer seemed like a century. I couldn't bear the thought of exile. "Klas?"

No reply was given. Just dead silence. I didn't want to hide anything from him, from anyone, but it was inevitable.

"Klas? Please answer me," I begged.

"Tell me who your trainer was." Many thoughts raced through my head. Should I tell him, should I not? I was conflicted. I know they have a rivalry, but Klas should know. He is, after all, my guardian. But at the same time, I own too much to him to reveal his secret.

"You'll turn us both in." I said fearfully.

"It depends on your trainer, Sonia." I realized that that was the first time Klas has ever said my name. I was elated that he recognized me. At the same time, I was slightly wary of him using my name there purposefully to pull the secret out of me. And the person who helped trained me wasn't going to help the situation either.

"I can't tell you…. You'll turn both of us in to the authorities and my family…." I was echoing my previous statements, but I couldn't help it. Tears welled up in my eyes and I turned away, unable to bear it anymore. I was scared for my family's lives. I couldn't. I just couldn't let this happen. Not after everything I've worked for to keep them well.

So I got up and I ran.

My legs burned from the effort and my lungs gasped for air, but I refused to slow down as I sped towards the city. Soft footsteps trailed after me, and I pushed myself even more.

"Sonia!" Klas's voice was drowned out with the shouts of merchants and the noise from the village.

I darted between people, making sure that I didn't bump into anyone, when someone suddenly grabbed my arm, mid-step. I was jerked back harshly, the momentum almost making me collide into a wall, but the person caught me before I made any contact.

A hand clapped over my mouth, just in time to prevent my scream. I expected the attacker to take me away to a dark alleyway before doing horrible things to me, but instead, the person, male judging by the figure and build, simply clasped my mouth shut.

"Please stay quiet and follow me, Sonia." The voice was familiar but I couldn't place who it was. The aura emanating from me gently told me that I could trust him, but my mind was reminded me that auras could be deceiving.

"Wh - Who are you?" I stuttered. My body was shaking with fear, but I tried to hide it as much as possible. The possibilities of what he could do to me flashed through my head and I froze. My gut was screaming at me to kick him in the kneecap and run, but I didn't. I just couldn't believe that after all those years of training, I couldn't even defend myself. It backfired at when I needed it the most. I was weak.

"Sonia, it's Master Sita. We're going to conduct the next part of the test right now."

Realization dawned on me. As I was beginning to relax, I froze. "Wait, what?" I asked in shock. "Right now?"

Behind me, I felt Master Sita nod grimly.

In that moment, I was so glad that Master Sita was holding me up, otherwise I'm not sure if I would have been able to remain standing. _Gods help me._

 **A/N: As I said before, so so sorry for the break I took, but hopefully I'm back. Also, I left the old version of Chapter 6 up, so should I take it down or should I leave it up? It's up to you guys, leave a review or PM me. Thank you!**

 **Paidi Mou* = Greek affectionate term "My child"**

 **Klinai** = Couches in Ancient Greece**

 **Good Nyx*** =just in case you didn't get it, it means good night**


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